Emotional funeral for tragic mum killed on way to see newborn baby

The funeral of Nicola Kenny has heard today that her heart was alive with love for others. Nicola was tragically killed in a road crash on the M8 motorway on Monday when she was travelling to Dublin to visit her one-day-old baby.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Thurles this morning to remember the 26-year-old.

Symbols representing Nicola’s life include a Minnie Mouse headband, an Olly Murs CD and a photo of her many friends.

Chief celebrant, Father Vincent Stapleton, recalled the cruel juxtaposition of joy in Thurles at Tipperary’s All-Ireland hurling win, with the horror that was unfolding for the Kenny family.

"On Monday evening last, many of us were on the crest of a wave, to celebrate the heroic victory of Tipperary in the All-Ireland final, and little did we know that just down the road in Kennedy Park, the Kenny family and the local community around them was left reeling with a cruel blow," he said.

Nicola was travelling to Dublin with her mother and aunt to visit her newborn baby – when they pulled in to the hard shoulder take an important call from Temple St Children’s Hospital.

The car was struck by a truck moments later killing Nicola, and injuring the others.

Father Stapleton urged the mourners to take care of baby Lily Rose in Nicola’s absence. "Now there's a vacuum of the great love that she would have loved Lily Rose with and that falls on all of us here to take up," he said. "So while she'll watch over Lily Rose from Heaven, you must be Nicola's arms to hug her, and her mouth to praise her and build her up, and Nicola's ears to listen to her." Nicola is being laid to rest this afternoon at St Patrick’s cemetery in Thurles.